Karnataka to bring action plan for electric vehicles, energy storage policy

4/12/2017

The Karnataka government on Thursday said it would soon unveil an action plan for implementation of its electric vehicle and energy storage policy aimed at creating conducive environment and necessary infrastructure for electric mobility in the city.

Stakeholders would meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tomorrow with regard to the action plan on electric vehicles and battery charging, Minister for Major and Medium Industries RV Deshpande told reporters here.

“How fast we can bring Bengaluru under the map of EV (electric vehicle) we will discuss in the meeting. We will come out with a guideline or a road map for the state, but mainly for the Bengaluru city,” he said.

The meeting is expected to be attended by urban planners, officials, and electric vehicle manufacturers among others. The State government in last September came out with the ‘Electric vehicle and energy storage policy, 2017’ with a vision to make the State preferred investment destination for manufacturing of electric vehicles (EV’s).

It sought to leverage advantages and opportunities available for the sustained development of this “promising segment.”

The objectives of the policy include attracting investment of ₹31,000 crore and creating employment opportunity to 55,000 people both from supply and demand side.

Besides, it seeks to create conducive environment for transition to electric vehicle environment from internal combustion engines and also to provide opportunities for developing R&D in electric mobility.

‘TIME-BOUND PROGRAMME’

Describing the policy as “unique”, Deshpande said it has been received well, and a Chinese company had come forward for making electric buses.

To considerably decrease dependence on petrol or diesel by 2030, infrastructure for electric vehicles had to be created in cities like Bengaluru, he said.

“For the creation of infrastructure we need to have a time-bound programme, we will be doing it. We will come out with an action plan on implementing the policy as far as Bangalore city is concerned,” he said.

He said the government wanted to bring more and more electric vehicles in the city as they were environment and eco-friendly.

On the Vendor Development and Investor’s Summit 2017 organised here by the State government, Deshpande said about ₹20,499.55 crore worth investments from 347 companies were approved in the last eight months and they will generate employment for about 86,750 people.

Source: The Hindu BL